You have over the years become more visible on the Internet with your blog, Walking the Path — The Pilgrimage and your blogs in WordPress, MySpace & Facebook. Has the medium helped you understand your readers better?

Actually the medium has given me the possibility to get in touch with my readers and this is a priceless experience. Through my blog – www.paulocoelhoblog.com – as well as my profiles in social network communities I’ve managed to interact in ways that were impossible before.

Recently, I’ve discovered Digg and I love the idea of the internauts actually choosing and voting for the news that are relevant to them. Internet is one of my windows to the world.

Last week’s rocks have faced the test of time and converted itself into sand. Now we pass to the Hourglass.

Indeed, before being associated with death, the hourglass has its roots in time. The falling of sand, one of the first measurements of time, symbolizes instability and the constant transformation of things. It’s natural then that this object would remind people of “memento mori”, i.e “remember you will die”.
The hourglass is the main attribute of the gods of Time, Chronos or Aion.
Yet, given that this object needs to be turned constantly, it also conveys the idea of a cyclic time – reenacting the constant return of things and actions.
The hourglass is also a reminder of measurement in the sense that one has to use time wisely, preserving oneself and not simply throwing away the gift of life. Ascetic figures are often depicted with hourglass in western tradition.

The roller-coaster is my life;
life is a fast, dizzying game;
life is a parachute jump;
it’s taking chances, falling over
and getting up again;
it’s mountaineering;
it’s wanting to get to the very top of yourself
and feeling angry and dissatisfied
when you don’t manage it.
(Eleven Minutes)

Your books are said to have changed the lives of many. What has been that one fantastic response you’ve got for your works? Any unusual fan you can recall?

Readers are always very inventive. I remember once an Indian reader sent me a letter saying that she had offered one of my books to the Ganges. I thought this was such a poetic and beautiful thing to do. I’ve never forgotten this letter.